1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to an audio device, and more particularly, to a speaker module mounted on a portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A speaker module is typically provided in various audio or video devices, such as a wireless or a mobile terminal, for outing a sound. A function of the mobile communication terminal has evolved from voice and data communication to various functions such as a portable game console. Now, a multimedia player and other devices have been integrated into a single mobile communication terminal
To provide a multimedia function on a portable terminal, a larger display device is needed and at the same time, to maintain portability, miniaturization of the portable terminal is also required. To this end, a touch screen with a virtual key pad is implemented as display unit, so that the display device is expanded but the thickness of the portable terminal is reduced.
The sound quality of the speaker module varies depending on a volume of the speaker module. That is, as the volume of the speaker module increases, the speaker module generally outputs a sound which is rich and near the original sound. However, there is a limitation in securing a sufficient volume of the speaker module as the speaker module is mounted in a miniaturized and thin-shaped portable device. Moreover, there is a need to mount communication antennas of different standards such as a wireless Local Area Network (LAN), Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), and so forth inside the portable terminal Therefore, a need for efficient use of an inner space of the miniaturized and thin-shaped portable terminal is urgent. As an approach to efficiently use the inner space of the portable terminal, some antenna devices may be integrated into the speaker module.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional speaker module 10 in which some of antenna devices are integrated. As shown, the conventional speaker module 10 receives a speaker unit 21 in a speaker housing 11, and has a radiation pattern 15 on its circumferential surface. The speaker unit 21 receives a vibration layer, a magnetic object, a coil, a yoke, and so forth, and substantially generates a sound according to an applied electric signal. The radiation pattern 15 which is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the speaker housing 11, more specifically, a back surface of the speaker housing 11, is used as a portion of the antenna device. A front surface of the speaker housing 11 is opened, and an inner side of the speaker housing 11 is used as a resonance space 13 and a portion thereof is used as a space for receiving the speaker unit 21. The speaker unit 21 includes a flexible Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 23 which extends to a side of the speaker unit 21 and connection pads 25 which are provided on the flexible PCB 23. The speaker housing 11 is mounted such that the front surface of the speaker housing 11 confronts a circuit board (not shown) of the portable terminal, in which the connection pads 25 contact a sound signal connection terminal provided on the circuit board.
Further, between the circuit board and the speaker housing 11 is a sealing member 19 such as a poron tape interposed. The sealing member 19 is disposed on a front edge of the speaker housing 11, more specifically, a circumference of the resonance space 13. Hence, the resonance space 13 is completed substantially by coupling the speaker housing 11 with the circuit board, and the sealing member 19 prevents sound pressure from leaking in an unnecessary direction. To output a sound of the resonance space 13, sound output holes may be provided in a region corresponding to the resonance space 13 in the circuit board.
The radiation pattern 15 includes connection terminals 17 provided on an end thereof, which extend to partially cover the edge of the speaker housing 11 and thus to be positioned on the front surface of the speaker housing 11. The connection terminals 17 are positioned at a side of the resonance space 13 and on the front surface of the speaker housing 11. Once the speaker housing 11 is mounted on the circuit board, the connection terminals 17 contact a wireless signal connection pad provided on the circuit board.
The speaker module structured as described above provides the resonance space using the speaker housing and uses the speaker housing as a carrier for disposing an antenna radiation pattern, thus allowing efficient use of the inner space of the portable terminal.
However, only some volume of the speaker housing may be used to dispose the connection terminals for electrically connecting the radiation pattern to the circuit board, thereby resulting in a limitation in using the volume of the speaker housing as the resonance space. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, only 60-70% of the actual volume of the speaker housing is used as the resonance space.